i'm randi kaye. it is 7:00 on the east coast, 4:00 a.m. on the west. thanks so much for starting your morning with us. a deadly attack in afghanistan has left five people dead and at least 18 others wounded and the taliban is claiming responsibility. it happened here at a joint u.s. afghan base near the airfield. there are no reports yet of u.s. casualties. joining me by phone is journalist ben farmer. ben, this attack involves suicide bombs and gunmen. can you tell us exactly how things unfolded? >> yes, it seems to have been a very complex attack. it began soon after dawn around 6:00 here local time. it began with two suicide car bombs. these were vehicles packed with explosives, driven at the gates of the airfield base, and they detona detonated. soon after that, a wave of attackers with rifles and suicide vests stormed the gates. this prompted a two-hour gun battle. it was all over in about two hours. nato says none of the attackers, none of the militants managed to breach the defenses. all of them were killed. however, we have reports that four or